Through hate and rage
by Leonas
Summary: Some of the strongest friendships at built upon conflict. The strongest bonds forged through the heat of rage. The strongest connections created through shared hatred. When two unknowing halves see things from the same angle they create something that few can understand, and fewer can even try to break.
1. Reckless

Naruto stared at his own frustrated face in the mirror. His hair was still damp from the shower he had just taken, and the towel he had used to dry himself was wrapped around his waist. He leaned onto the sink, and a sigh escaped his lips.

It was a new day. A day that would likely be filled with D-ranked missions and no training. A day with a sensei that didn't seem to care about this team. A day with an arrogant jerk that was better than him in every way. A day with a girl that he had feelings for that just wouldn't look his way unless it was to either insult or hit him. A day of chores. A new day filled with glares from everyone. A new day in the life of the genin demon container of the nine tailed fox.

As if on cue, the seal on his stomach made its appearance. He glared into the mirror at it. This thing was the source of it all. It marked him as a container. It was what caused the village to hate him. He hated this seal. Truly hated it.

In anger he placed a hand over it and gripped it. He concentrated his anger and frustration at it, unknowingly sending chakra to his gripping digits. If only it could be as simple twisting and pulling. If only he could just tear it all away with a flick of the wrist, and be rid of all this. His hand started to twist.

He knew it was going to hurt to twist the flesh of his stomach like that. However he was pissed and felt the need to do something, anything at all. However he felt no pain. In fact he didn't feel the skin under his fingers move at all. Instead he watched in the mirror as the symbols under his hand moved instead. And as they moved a strange sense of weightlessness and power started to fill his very being. Before he knew it the twist was complete, and his world went black.

* * *

When Naruto finally came back to his senses he was standing in the ankle deep water of a sewer. There was just enough light to see his surroundings. Which consisted of old walls, worn piping, and a large jail cell looking area… with two large open doors. That had to be the seal, and it was open. What made matters worse what was the large orange-red fox with nine tails that stood in the open doorway. However it wasn't just standing there. No, it was leaned back, head low to the ground, hindquarters raised and tails swaying. It was if it was getting ready to po-

It was only sheer instinct that caused him to dive forward as the giant demon pounced. It was a maneuver that would normally allow him to roll under and past his attacker. However the sheer size of the fox prevented that. So instead he found himself underneath the bulk of the red furred killing machine, forced to dodge stomping feet as it tried to pin him down with a clawed foot.

He didn't know how long the deadly game of tag lasted, but eventually it stopped as a growl filled the air. "Hold still so I can eat you." Said a deep resonating voice that filled the small ninja is an almost primal dread. It could talk, it was probably intelligent, and it REALLY didn't like him. This was all kinds of bad. It was clear that the seal had been doing its job. So why was it open?

"Not on your life Furball. You are not killing me that easily. Naruto Uzumaki will never be on your menu." He shouted back. He was not about to let this thing see him sweat.

"If that were true you wouldn't have opened the seal. By throwing away your protection you either felt you could defeat me, or had a death wish."

Wait, he opened the seal? How? Wait… when he twisted the seal on his stomach. That had to be it. He quickly reached down with his hand and grabbed hold of the seal and twisted the other way. He had to close it back up. Then he would be safe.

Nothing happened. The seal didn't move. Naruto started to panic. What was wrong? What had he done differently?

It was instinct again that saved him as the threw himself to the side to dodge the claws trying to impale him. He tucked into a roll and kept rolling until he hit a wall and stopped. Getting to his knees he saw the growling form of the Kyuubi tower over him. He was VERY glad he had already emptied his bladder that morning. Otherwise there would be a mess at his feet.

He braced himself against the wall, and readied himself incase he had to dodge again. however the fearsome creature just watched him. Its head tilted to the side. "So little kit, am I more then you can handle? Where is all the bravado you showed? Your boastful arrogance that made you believe you could take me on without the fourth's protection?"

"Fuck you! It's not like I did this on purpose. I didn't even know I COULD open the seal!" He shouted back. His annoyance and anger was starting to overcome his fear. That is until the great beast started barking with laughter.

"Is that so? You released me by mere accident? Is that what you want me to believe?"

"Yes, because its the truth damn it."

"Oh I can tell it is. That just makes it more amusing." The beast said before it rumbled with laughter again. "So instead of eating you I shall reward you for amusing me. Here you go little kit." Before Naruto could even open his mouth to ask what it was talking about dark angry red colored miasma started to roll off the giant fox.

It moved swiftly, giving the young blonde no time to get out of the way before his world was encompassed by red. Then the pain came. It ripped through him. Everything hurt. Everything was pain. However that wasn't all of it. No, he started to hear things. See things. FEEL things. Hatred. Rage. Frustration. They were everything he knew then and there.

Now Naruto may be a stubborn brat, but he was willing to admit he was wrong about something when faced with evidence. And right now there was great evidence that showed he knew NOTHING about hate, sorrow, or rage. However even then an older and, arguably, wiser Naruto that was already set in his ways would admit this to himself and still attempt to fight and control these feelings. On the other hand, a younger Naruto that knew nothing, and had no one would be swept away by the power of the emotions as he would be unable to understand what was happening or get his feet under him.

This Naruto was neither, and so did neither. He was still young and naive without a strong path to follow, but he also had people he cared about. Even if they were small in number. He could not stand against the raw power like a wall, nor was he willing to be swept away like a leaf in the wind. Instead he became a tunnel. He let the energy flow through him. The emotions tore at him and, like a river washing over stone, eroded away his weaker elements. The Power burned as it traveled through his body, but the heat also hardened and tempered his core.

He started to hear and see things that were familiar to pureness of the feelings began to be tempered by that familiarity. Whispered words spoken behind his back, when they thought he didn't hear. Glares of pure malice aimed at him as they kicked him out of stores. Someone who was a complete stranger to hate or anger from others would have been destroyed by the near endless torrent coursing through him, but he persevered, and learned...

He didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. However the pain eventually stopped. Though that was all that went away. The emotions and power still flowed through him, but it was as if his body was now accustomed to it. He took a breath and opened his eyes. He didn't even know when he closed them. He stared through the red haze up at the fox who was frowning down at him. Obviously the fox had not planned this to happen.

Naruto slowly rose to his feet, again not knowing when he fell to his knees, and started to walk unsteadily towards his tenant. With each step forward his stride became more steady, he started to straighten up his posture, and felt the power flowing through him start to aid him instead of fight him. He saw the fox frown further as it watch him approach, until at last Naruto was directly in front of the giant fox demon. Said demon lowered its massive head until it was on level with Naruto. Naruto then lay one hand on the fox's muzzle.

Neither knew what happened next, or why it did. In the next instant everything became a blinding light as the red haze disappeared. Half of it was absorbed into Naruto. The other half pulled away from the boy and with it took pieces of blue which were absorbed by the Kyuubi. They stared into each other's eyes a some kind of understanding came upon the both of them.

"I don't know what you did kit, but I'm not sure I like it." Said the fox in an upset, almost sulky, voice though there was no anger in it.

"Same here Kurama." naruto agreed in the same kind of voice only laced with confusion.

The newly named Kurama growled lightly. "How do you know that name?"

"What? I…" Naruto tried to explain, but stopped and suddenly paled. "I don't know. I just know. I know… a lot now. Its like…"

"We are one mind." Kurama finished, and Naruto nodded. They could both feel memories from the other. Power blended between them. It was an odd sensation. Like two halves finally becoming whole. Yet it felt odd. Not wrong. Just odd. Like they connected in an unexpected way. Though neither could figure out why they felt that way though.

"We can discuss this later," Kurama stated cutting through the silence that was starting to form, and making Naruto tilt his head. "It would appear we have attracted the attention of your village's leader. He is arriving at your door with several Anbu."

Naruto was about to ask how the fox knew that when the information hit him. A familiar smell filled his nose from the outside world. The soft sounds of someone landing silently outside of his door. The feel of familiar chakra and several unfamiliar ones. It also occurred to him why they were here. With everything that was happening chakra was bound to have leaked into the real world. Chakra that belonged to Kurama, the great kyuubi. A being that was thought to desire the destruction of the village if it ever got free. Which meant they were there to check on him, and possibly put him down, or contain him incase the kyuubi was at risk of getting out. "This isn't good. I got to get out there and reassure him everything is alright."

"Yes you should." Kurama agreed, and the weird sewer faded out as Naruto felt this odd tugging sensation and sense of vertigo. Then he was back in his bathroom, and a knock on the front door was heard.

Moving quickly he got to, and opened the front door to see a worried Sandaime Hokage with several ninja in Anbu uniforms and masks staring at him. It was then that he remembered he was in only a towel. Clearing his throat and trying to ignore his red cheeks Naruto said, "What's up gramps?"

"Naruto, I'm sorry to intrude on you like this, but we have reasons to believe we felt the kyuubi's chakra coming from here." His surrogate grandfather said in a worried yet reassuring voice, as the men and women behind him moved ever so slightly. They appeared ready to draw weapons if he so much as twitched wrong.

At that exact moment he heard a voice in his head. '_You are going to have to lie to him. I know you trust him with your life, but he is still a leader, and besides we don't even know what is going on ourselves.' _Naruto was shocked to hear the fox's voice suddenly, and that shock must have shown on his face. Luckily it would seem Sarutobi misinterpreted it.

"Now Naruto I know it's shocking to hear this, and you are probably in shock from whatever happened. However, if anything did happen please tell me my boy. I can't help if you don't tell me." He seemed almost desperate in his urgings. However Naruto only half noticed as he started to analyze the situation.

It was odd how clears things seemed. Then again he could probably blame the hate bath he got earlier. Though that, and the fact that he could mentally talk to Kurama now were thoughts for another time. Right now he had to concentrate on what to do at the moment. And Kurama was right. He couldn't tell his surrogate grandfather everything at the moment. Oh he was still loyal and cared for the old man. However to tell him incomplete information would do more harm than good right now. Maybe he could fill him in at a later date. But not now.

Naruto took a breath and let worry color his face. "Well, I… I might have accidentally visited the seal while looking into the mirror." he said with a bit of hesitance. Admittedly he had always been good at hiding things but it felt so easy to play the right emotions right now. Easier than usual in fact.

'_Kit you're connected to a demonic fox. We are the epitome of lying and trickery. Why do you think your transformations are so good, and come so easily?' _Well that explained a bit, but he couldn't get distracted.

"You did what!? What happened? How did you do that?" The old man was starting to sound really worried now. The blonde felt a little bad about what he was doing however, he still felt it was best to lie. It wasn't that he was feeling less empathy. It was more like he wasn't letting it control his actions.

"I'm not sure how I did it. I was looking into the mirror and then suddenly I was in the seal. The fox… wanted to get to me. Tried to rush me, but the seal held fast. Then it tried to flood me with chakra to overpower me I guess. But I was able to resist it enough that I could force it back. By the time I got out of the seal again.. well, you knocked." he explained with enough of the truth sprinkled in to throw off suspicion. However the Hokage still examined him with worried eyes.

After a minute the Third nodded his head. "Alright, I'm glad to hear you are okay.. However if this happens again, tell me. I know a seal master that could look at your seal and make sure it is alright."

"I will gramps. Thanks." He replied with a hug to his grandfather in all but blood.

"Anytime Naruto. Now why don't you get dressed and then we can walk together to the Hokage tower. I'm we sure we will make it in time to wait for for you teacher." Sarutobi said with a soft smile and a wave of his hand to dismiss the ninjas outside.

"ALRIGHT!" Naruto yelled with a large smile and hurried off to his room. He could hear the old man chuckle behind him as he closed the door. Once the door was closed the smile faded and he looked about. He really did need to get dressed…. and get things straightened up in his own mind. He sighed to himself. Though if they were going to do more D-ranks today, he would have plenty of time to collect his thoughts together.

He turned to his closet and looked at his collection of orange jumpsuits. Maybe it was time for his wardrobe to change along with the rest of him.

'_DAMN RIGHT IT IS!'_ He heard screamed in his head making him wince. '_It's about time you wore something fitting of being my container!'_

'_Alright, Alright I will look into different clothes. Yeesh.' _He mentally said back as he started to put on one of his jumpsuits. '_It will have to wait till after today's missions though.'_

'_Fine, just as long as it happens.'_

Naruto sighed to himself again as he fasten his kunai holster to his leg. Well this was going to be interesting. It was a new day. With new things. And he still wasn't looking forward to it.


	2. Heartless

'_I said it before, and I'll say it again, your village is lazy and stupid.'_

Naruto held back a sigh as the thought drifted through his mind. He really couldn't help but agree though. At this point all the missions they had received were nothing more than glorified chores. Granted if you looked at them closely you would realize that a three man, or four man if the teacher decided to help out, could knock out these missions quickly and easily if they coordinated and worked together well. Something that team seven just didn't do. Oh they were no longer fighting over every little thing, but they still didn't work together. Sakura only wanted to make herself look good for Sasuke and didn't like to/couldn't do lots of physical labor, Sasuke thought he was too good for these missions and was far superior to his teammates, and Naruto was starting to realize just how screwed up his team was. He also noticed that Kakashi was not as inattentive as he appeared. He kept eyes and ears opened to everything. There was also a slight downturn in his mask and the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice whenever he talked to the members of team during a mission and after, usually after the team argued or showed no signs of working together.

'_He really shouldn't have passed us if he wanted strong teamwork between us._' Naruto thought holding back another sigh.

'_No he shouldn't have. However there IS potential. Someone just has to step up and take control. There is no leadership in this team. No alpha.'_

Of course doing mindless chores, waiting hours for your teacher so you can DO said chores, being sent home almost immediately after completion, and having no one to talk to or hang out with meant someone had plenty of time to think and make discoveries. To test boundaries and make connections in ones own mind. This lead to a few discoveries.

The first and most obvious one was that he had a mental connection to Kurama. They could talk through thoughts. It also went a step further than that though. They had almost unlimited access to each other memories, thoughts, and emotions. It was less like they were two minds connected to each other, and more like two PARTS of one mind working in tangent. That lead to the discovery of Naruto's parents, but he tried not to think on that little fact too much. At least for now.

Another fun little fact was that Kurama now experienced EVERYTHING Naruto did, and in return Naruto experienced everything like Kurama would. His senses were sharper. More defined. Extra sensitive. It was both a blessing and a curse. Tastes and smells were stronger, so ramen was even more heavenly than usual. However that also meant Sakura's screeches made him cringe heavily since his more sensitive eardrums felt like they wanted to burst. It was a trade off.

However it was the physical things that were the most surprising. Near limitless access to each other's chakra. Naruto may not have tapped into a significant amount of Kurama's chakra, or youkai as the fox called it, since he didn't want to have another conversation with gramps about it so soon. However he did channel a small amount of it just to see if he could, and found that he could call upon it at will. And the opposite was true. Well Kurama couldn't exactly USE his chakra. However he did have access to it, and being a being made of pure chakra he could take it into himself and channel it to a certain purpose. This meant that his control was near perfect. They even tested it on the basic clone technique. It had worked. It had actually worked. The fact that chakra could be used for more than just jutsus was also explained to him. This meant that Kurama could regulate Naruto's own chakra in ways that made him faster, stranger, and tougher. He wouldn't have to put conscious effort into it since Kurama would. And since they were were of one mind anyway… the possibilities were endless. At least Naruto believed they were.

All this of course lead to some interesting conversations and thoughts like the one they were having now. They were heading home from yet another so called mission. That had of course lacked any sense of teamwork.

'_What, am I suppose to just challenge Sasuke to a fight, kick his ass and expect him to follow me? Would Sakura really appreciate that?'_

'_Of course not. You make it apparent that you are challenging him for the leadership position first. THEN you kick his ass and have him follow you. As for that pink haired vixen, why do you even care? She is barely even pretty by your standards, her body is in no way ready for kits, and she is useless in more ways than she is helpful. '_

'_Before, it was for naive sentimental and needy reasons. However now its because of her potential. She is obsessed with her Sasuke and is modelling everything based on that. If we can break that obsession or at least channel it she could go far. Besides I'm sure she will be quite the looker and wonderful mother material when she gets off her diets.'_

'_Fine I will concede the point to you. However in response I will bring up another. no matter how good she may be, she will never be proper alpha mate material. She will need someone to keep her in her place.'_

Naruto groaned to himself. In the last couple of days while he was getting use to this new connection to the fox, this was one thing he found they just couldn't see eye to eye on. The perverted fox had a thing for having' multiple mates' as it put it.

'_I still don't see the appeal. Why would you want more then one girl? Aren't you suppose to be happy with just one? Isn't that how love works?'_

'_Who said anything about love? That helps don't get me wrong, but multiple mates mean more varied kits, more people to take care of them, as well as a spicier bedroom.' _That last part made Naruto blanch a bit. '_Oh don't be like that you'll understand when you are older and more interested in such. Also, who said anything about just girls?' _That made Naruto blanch even more.

'_You furry perverted bastard! Why would I want to sleep with a man?! I'm only interested in GIRLS!'_

'_Become a girl for an hour then get back to me.' _Oh Kurama sounded way too smug about that. And the worst part was that Kurama was most likely right. Changing genders tended to mess with his head a little. It was why his sexy jutsu was so flirty. '_Besides I'm a being of chakra remember? I have no set gender nor do I care about it. A strong mate is a strong mate. And we will need a strong alpha to be at the head. Even if you stick to your pitiful human biases and only have one, I will NOT abide you having a mate weak in any aspect. They have to be strong in mind, body, and spirit. I foresee the pink haired banshee will be lacking in that third department even with your help.'_

'_Oh yeah? And who would you suggest?'_

'_Why not the girl behind us?' _The girl behind- Oh.

Naruto breathed in deep through his nose and caught hold of the scent. The light soothing smell of lavender. He had only recently noticed it and her a few days ago, the same day he first formed his bond and got his senses upgraded. They didn't know how long she had been keeping it up, but according to her skill and seeming knowledge of his habits Hinata Hyuuga had been following him for quite some time.

'_Hinata? but… she's weird. Not in a bad way, but still. And how does stuttering, blushing and even FAINTING in my mere presence make her strong?'_

'_Kit, its always the quiet shy ones you need to look out for. ALWAYS. She proved in class to be the strongest in a fight even if her kindness made it so she didn't hurt her opponents too badly. Her ability to stalk us unnoticed till recently shows she has brains and skill. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if her test scores are rather high. As for strength of spirit. If there is one thing I learned its that the loud ones are hiding the biggest weaknesses, and the quiet ones are hiding the biggest strengths. Under her stuttering exterior is a girl of great burning passion just waiting for the right spark. A roaring fire of passion that will enable her to lead others with great charisma, defend what she feels is important with her life, and lead to many an interesting night with her lucky chosen partner.' _That last thought had far too much amusement attached to it. He could SEE the perverted grin on Kurama's muzzle.

'_All she needs is a spark. Someone to ignite her inner fire, and encourage its growth. Unless I'm wrong, it looks like she choose you for that position.'_

'_But why?'_

'_You will have to ask HER that. Preferably over ramen.' _Naruto found himself frowning. '_Oh don't give me that. You want to cultivate the pink one into being someone worth our time. So why not do the same for the lavender one? Build them both up, peel back their layers ,and see which one you REALLY desire? Who knows your decisions might surprise you.'_

'_Fine, but not tonight. I'm tired, dirty and distracted by other thoughts. If we are going to do this she deserves our full attention.'_

'_Agreed.'_

'_Good.' _With that decided Naruto walked up the stairs to his apartment. All the while taking in the scent of lavender which persisted until he got to the door. He turned just enough to watch the retreating form of a girl with dark lavender hair and a beige jacket making her way down the street. Then he sighed and unlocked his door. Tomorrow would be eventful.

* * *

Sasuke leaned against his tree silently brooding. Well on the outside he was brooding. On the inside he was raging. Not only had he been stuck on a team with two worthless teammates, forced into a humiliating position where he had to support them, and been unable to grow since the teacher for some reason saw fit to hold them all back, but he was also being forced to do these… these.. CHORES. He was an elite. The best of his class, and he was forced to do the work of servants. Not only that but his so called teacher was never on time. Always making the team wait for hours on end.

However he refused to show his frustration. It was beneath him. Just like his teammates. The loud annoying fangirl, and the even louder and more annoying deadlast. Then again the deadlast had been rather quiet these last few days. It was almost like he was observing everyone and everything around him.

He snorted at that thought. Not like that mattered. Once a loser always a loser. It didn't matter if the loser improved. The Uchiha would always be better. Despite everything, he would get stronger, kill his brother, and avenge his clan. He just had to deal with these dead weights till then.

Thinking of dead weight… Naruto finally arrived. Not that he was late. The time they were supposed to meet up just hit. Sakura arrived just five minutes prior. Sasuke always made sure he was ten minutes early just so he would have SOME time to himself before the others showed up and got whiny.

So imagine his surprise when the blonde walked right up to Sasuke without a single look at Sakura, with a serious look on his face. That almost sparked interest in the avenger.

"Teme, since we have a few hours, how about a little challenge?" The dobe asked. Sasuke just huffed at him. "A quick little match. Just one match. Winner becomes leader of the team and the other members have to follow the leader's orders. Sound good?"

Now THAT got his interest. Though it sounded too good to be true. Then again it was right up the dobe's alley to suggest something like this and expect to win. He was far too big a moron to actually set a good trap. "That easy huh? Winner goes unchallenged by anyone?"

"Well loser CAN get a rematch at a later date but has to wait at least a day. As for anyone… Hey Sakura! If Sasuke agrees to these terms will you as well?"

The mentioned pinkett looked surprised, but her eyes gleamed as she looked at Sasuke with pure worship. Inside Sasuke scowled. However if this went like he knew it would he could make them stay out of his way and give him more time to get stronger. To gather more power.

It was a little too predictable when Sakura agreed. "Fine since we are all on board I accept. I look forward to putting you in your place dobe." He taunted with a smirk. Only it didn't get the usual reaction.

Instead the loser just smirked back, took several steps back, and fell into the academy beginning stance and waited. Sasuke felt his smirk turn into a scowl as he fell into his family's taijutsu stance. What followed was a staring contest as neither moved from their position.

The waiting game was quickly getting on Sasuke's nerves. His stance was infact a more defensive one, meant to take and redirect an opponent's charge. The fact that the blonde dobe WASN'T charging like usual was grating on his nerves. Not that it mattered. Even if Sasuke had to bring the fight to Naruto, he was still superior in taijutsu.

However just a he was about to close the distance the blonde decided to speak, "Remember Sasuke this will be Academy rules. the first to fall or surrender loses." Sasuke merely grunted in acknowledgement then charged in.

The distance was eaten up quickly. He had been the fastest fighter in their class. He drew back his arm in a telegraphed punch. Knowing the dobe, he would duck or move to the side. That would leave the blonde open to Sasuke's REAL attack, which would be a kick.

The blonde didn't try to dodge. Instead he raised his arms and turned slightly in order to block. That was fine with Sasuke as it still left the blonde's torso open for a punishing kick. One that was cocked and fired off faster than most in class could follow. A kick that landed squarely and solidly on target.

A kick that was caught when an arm wrapped around it, holding it fast.

Before the dark haired boy could react, the blonde stepped further into Sasuke's guard, twisted towards the trapped leg, and pulled. Before he knew it, Sasuke was on his back and pinned down.

"I win.", said the STILL smirking dobe. How? How had that happened. Sasuke responded with a mere glare that washed over the blonde like water off a ducks back.

As soon as the blonde released his leg and backed up, Sasuke kipped up back to his feet and sank back into his stance. "I'm not done yet." That caused the blonde's smirk to widen.

"Oh yes you are. We agreed on one match a day. You have to wait till tomorrow. Which means I'm team leader for today. Unless Sakura thinks she can beat me."

That brought all eyes onto the mentioned girl, who looked like she had been about to say something when when the loser asked his question. She suddenly looked unsure. This put Sasuke in a tough spot.

On one hand he had no confidence that Sakura could win. Oh she was the top kunoichi, but he couldn't figure out how that had been. Her Taijutsu had been one of the worst of the class. A lot of her physical skills had been terrible. So the chances were high that she would lose. In which case Sasuke was stuck where he was, at the mercy of the deadlast.

On the other hand, IF she did win then he would be at HER mercy. Then again, the loser had a crush on the pinkette. He could be trying to use this as a ploy to get her to feel grateful towards him. Let her win and get control.

However that left a loophole Sasuke could exploit. The blonde said they could only challenge each other once a day. Technically he never challenged Sakura. So if she did win, Sasuke could challenge her and then beat her easily to take control of the team himself. Yes, that was the way. However she would have to win, and for that he would have to challenge for leadership. He was going to have to say something he really didn't want to.

"Alright, fine. I have faith that Sakura can beat you." Ugh those words left a nasty taste in his mouth. However they had the desired effect. The girl immediately perked up and a fire burned in her eyes.

"If Sasuke believes in me then I can't lose. I challenge you Naruto for leadership of the team." She declared as she sank into a very by the book academy stance. Sasuke hid a frown as he cleared the area, as the blonde also sank into his stance.

What followed would forever be burned into his mind.

Naruto didn't throw the match. Didn't let the pinkette hit him. In fact when the wild haymaker came he duck under it then went behind her, grabbed a handful of hair and pulled, causing the girl to shriek in pain and surprise. However he wasn't done. He twisted his hand to get a better grip, forced the girl to face her crush, pulled down to make the girl fall to her knees…, and pulled a kunai.

Sasuke was stunned. The smirk was no longer on Naruto's face. What replaced it was a scowl. The surrounding area suddenly became colder by several degrees as the kunai was pressed to the girl's throat. She whimpered as she felt the cold edge touch her flesh. Her hands reaching back to try and free her hair. Her eyes looking desperately to him to save her.

"Sakura, I thought you would be predictable. But looks I was wrong. No one could have predicted just how pathetic you actually are. To charge in like that when you SAW that such a charge failed before. Where are the brains that you were praised for? Where is the skill you are suppose to have? You were suppose to be the best in our class weren't you? Than why is it you are below ME, the deadlast?" Naruto demanded. His voice was low. His words coming out slowly, like scolding a child. "The way I see it, I have two choices since I know you won't take any training seriously. I can let you live to probably die in the field, which would put me and Sasuke in danger, as well as risk mission failure. Or I can kill you now, make it look like an accident, and get you replaced with someone competent. The second option might be more merciful for all around."

"B-b-but Naruto, I thought-"

"That I had a crush on you?" Naruto finished for the girl who could only weakly nod. "Oh I did. But did you honestly think it would stick with how often you put me down, rejected me, and hit me with little to no provocation? If you honestly believed that you are a bigger idiot than you declared I was." He scolded with a growl. It made Sasuke shiver.

This was not right. This was the dobe they were talking about. The idiot that obsessed about being Hokage, and eating ramen. He wasn't a killer he.. he… His mind trailed off as he stared into Sakura's eyes. Eyes that desperately begged him for help. However his body wouldn't move. Couldn't move. This had to be a bluff. Had to be some unfunny prank. However it felt so real. So terribly real.

"What do you think Sasuke? You agree right? That she has no redeemable qualities for this team and should be removed right?" No, this was wrong. No one could possibly be this conversational in this situation. This had to be a bluff.

Sasuke shoved down his doubts and crossed his arms. He snorted as a smirk made its way on to his lips. "Yeah right, like you would-" he never got to finish his dismissal…

He watched with morbid fascination as the kunai slid along the girl's throat. The flesh parted and the life giving liquid flowed. He watched in horror as Sakura's body went limp then fell as her hair was released. He saw the corpse hit the ground and no move. His breath hitched. His eyes widened. He felt his knees start to buckle.

"Well then there we go. The dead weight has been removed." Naruto said with a pleased tone to his voice. Sasuke could only stare at him in horror. "I knew you would agree."

Sasuke couldn't say anything. His inaction caused the death of a teammate. True he didn't like her, but he didn't think…

"You know a thought just hit me." The blonde continued. "It is true that Sakura was always useless, but you also lost to me, and quickly I might add." New dread flooded the avenger's system. "You were always the top of our class, and yet you fell so easily. That makes you worse than her. It is true she wasted her potential, but you seem to have let it get away from you."

No, no. This couldn't be happening. He watched the killer before him regard the bloody knife in his hand then look at Sasuke before taking a step forward. "I guess there is still more fat that needs to be trimmed off. Killing you will make it harder to make it all look like an accident, but I think I can pull it off"

Sasuke's mind shut down. It had to. There were too many parallels. Too many reminders. It was just like that night. Just like that terrible night. His legs gave out as he screamed and tried to crawl away backwards.

That got his attacker to stop in his tracks. Only it was even worse now. Those eyes. They were just like Itachi's. Filled with disappointment. "Really? This is all it takes? This is your reaction? No defiance? No avenging your comrade? No smart remarks? Just cowardice? Is this how the great Sasuke Uchiha falls? This is how the mighty line of the elite of the village is severed?" The monster before him taunted.

Sasuke couldn't answer. His voice was constricted. The boy's very presence was suffocating. It felt like it would be best for Sasuke to just take his own life instead of sitting here. He was doomed either way. He might as well take the pleasure of killing him away from the person before him.

Then the pressure faded. The boy scoffed and turned from his victim and walked back over to Sakura. He rolled the body over, took out a rag and wiped away the blood before taking out a small jar and started to apply its contents to her neck. That was before taking out a bag and holding it under her nose, which forced her to open her eyes and gasp.

Now Sasuke was confused. Luckily it seemed like Naruto was willing to explain without him asking, "She only fainted, like I knew she would. She is weak in body and will power. However I didn't think YOU were also weak in that department as well Sasuke."

The boy stood then and stepped away before turning to face both himself and Sakura. When he spoke next his voice was stoic. "You both are pathetic. Kakashi has been trying to teach us teamwork. To work together and have each other's backs. However neither of you have tried to work with me or the team. You haven't tried to get to know me or get better. We have HOURS with which we could be bettering ourselves, and instead we sit around wasting time. That as weakened us. It also made manipulating the two of you into underestimating me way too easy to accomplish."

Naruto took a breath here and reached into his kunai pouch again. Sasuke flinched, and noticed Sakura did the same. Only instead of another piece of metal death, two nutrient bars were pulled out. The blonde then tossed each of his teammates one. "I REFUSE to let this happen again. I want my career to actually progress. Something that won't happen if my team gets killed, or fails a mission because they are pathetic idiots. As team leader I decree that every day while waiting for Kakashi we will run through exercises to improve our conditioning and teamwork. We will do all exercises together. If one of us lags we lag with them. We will continue until we can ALL do it.

On missions, when Kakashi isn't giving orders, I will tell you what to do. I will give orders, and you will follow them. The only questioning I desire to hear from you will be for clarification. If I tell you to pull weeds from a particular row, I expect you to pull every last weed from that row without question. If I tell you to do twenty-five jumping jacks, you will do so. Do I make myself clear?"

Neither Sasuke or Sakura said anything. This drew a growl from their newly proclaimed leader. "I said is that CLEAR!"

"Yes, sir." They both called.

"Good. Now we will eat these tasteless nutrient bars, and we will despise them. Then we will begin our exercises. Sakura, from now on you will stop dieting. the lack of calories and nutrition is starving your body and robbing you of the energy to even think of exercising." Sakura could only nod as she unwrapped the little piece of food she was given. "Good. Now lets dig in. We have wasted enough time as it is." WIth that the blonde pulled out a third bar and unwrapped it. Sasuke swallowed and followed the examples of his teammates.

Nothing was the same. Nothing ever would be. He could tell. He hated his weakness, but it looked like he was still powerless. He hated it, but he was going to have to follow Naruto. He just hoped that in the end he would be able to stand on his own. He never wanted to be at another person's mercy ever again.

* * *

Hinata wasn't sure to think about her crush. Oh she was still following him home. Though she noticed he was heading back from his team's mission earlier than usual. He also looked to be in far better mood and shape. Though she didn't know why.

In fact, Naruto seemed to have gone through a few changes over the last few days. First he traded out his orange jumpsuit for a dark green and black outfit that seemed to be made exclusively out of pockets. There were A LOT of pockets, both obvious and hidden. And none of them seemed to be empty at any point in time. It was the first thing he changed after meeting with his team a few days back. Though it… disturbed her that he had had to use a transformation in order to visit the store without any trouble. Something she had seen a few times.

However his clothes weren't the biggest change. No it was the feeling he gave off. Before, he had been a pillar of enthusiasm. He gave off energy like the sun gave off light. Even as all around him avoided him and ignored his presence, he still had one. However now… there wasn't as much warmth coming off him. It was like… he had decided to stop emitting what no one else seemed to want. It made her feel saddened inside even as she continued to follow him. Except now it was less to draw inspiration and more to try and figure out why he had changed.

So far she wasn't having a lot of luck in that pursuit.

She sighed to herself as she hid behind a pole and watched him take a left at the crossroad. Looked like he was going to stop by Ichiraku's. She would follow him there then leave. She didn't like to watch him eat. It made her hungry and sad since she couldn't join him. After all how could he-

"Hey Hinata, would you like to join me for some ramen?" her crushed called out, interrupting her thoughts. She froze and stared at him. He was staring right at her. he knew she was there. He had noticed her. How?

"Well? Do you want to or not?" He asked again with a curious smile. Hinata found herself blushing and trying to swallow from a dry mouth as she nodded. That caused the smile to widen and brighten. She nearly fainted right then and there, and it was only through sheer willpower and disbelief that she did not. "Then come on then."

Hinata took a few hesitant steps before he moved forward, took her hand, and lead her to his favorite restaurant. Again the girl nearly lost it then and there. Luckily all that happened was that the blood flooded her face. She Just knew her face was deeply red.

The blonde had changed so much over the last few days. However maybe the changes weren't bad. Especially if they lead to more of this.

* * *

Naruto smiled to himself as he unlocked the door to his apartment. He had just returned from walking Hinata home. She was a nice girl. The little date at Ichiraku's had been a fun experience. They had spent the time talking about each other, their teams, and eventually what lead her to following Naruto around. Okay so he had to do a fair amount of the talking and slowly guide her out of her embarrassed shell, but eventually they got there.

Who would have thought that one selfless deed would lead to a girl using him as the source of her inspiration? A rather cute girl. Okay so maybe Kurama had a bit of a point when it came to the lavender haired girl. As well as how his team was.

The smile faded from his face at the thought. Sakura had done exactly as predicted. Sasuke had not.

'_I should have known the little cockroach would be a coward. It is always the haughty ones that hold the largest weaknesses. And the Uchiha have always been nothing BUT haughty.'_

'_Still to think that the massacre would leave that much of an imprint. From the way he acted I thought for sure that he was get angry. i was looking forward to kicking his ass twice.'_

'_So was I. I'm quite disappointed. Establishing dominance was far too easy.'_

'_Yes it was. However there is nothing we can do. It is done, and now we just have to keep it.'_

Both halves of himself nodded in agreement. The mission they had done that day had been a breeze. There was still a few bumps to smooth out of course. Despite only doing a light workout, Sakura was all but wiped out by the the time Kakashi showed up. Not to mention even though both Sasuke and Sakura had jumped to to do as ordered there was still an undercurrent of fear and hesitation. Something that would likely remain for some time.

However before you gave the carrot you had to use the stick, and he needed to use a very big stick. However as things got more stable, he would introduce the carrots. They just needed to actually put in effort first. Well.. an effort without him threatening them or having to glare subtly.

He sighed to himself as he started to change for bed. He had a lot of work ahead of him. Not only did he have to guide his team down the right path kicking and screaming. He also had to guide a shy girl from her shell and into the real world. The latter was probably going to be far more enjoyable than the former.

'_You brought it upon yourself kit.' _Kurama reminded him. '_Though it would seem worth it. A strong mate and a pair of servants are almost always worth it.'_

Naruto sighed again as he lay down. '_I am not taking anyone as a servant.'_ He thought menacingly as the fox's words sank in, only to hear it snicker.

'_Retainers then. You are destined for great things kit. I can see you ruling some day. And rulers are entitled to having others sworn to their service. Besides what other use would they be? I still don't see that pink haired banshee as proper material.'_

'_Well, Sasuke might be good as a nemesis...' _Naruto mused, '_He likely feels powerless right now. Which means he will try and overthrow me eventually. If I keep sprinkling little things that help increase his power, and bring him closer to his goal then..._'

'_He'd be one of your most useful retainers, true… until he feels he has reached the point he can kill you._' Kurama warned, '_Right now, he wants to be the best, and you just showed him he's far from it… Instead of antagonizing that, you instead push him. Make him stronger while showing that you are doing the same. Challenge him. Emphasis his own growth. Make him view you as a measuring stick and important to his life._'

Naruto found himself nodding. '_And Sakura?'_

'_Beat her with the stick some more, then hand the stick over to Hinata and let her get some giggles out of it. Possibly after tying the banshee up and suspending her to the ceiling.'_

'_Kurama...'_

'_Fine, you should do a lot of the same. She likely won't respond well from being pushed and challenged constantly likely the Uchiha. Instead she will need praise and a firm hand to guide her. However only praise her when she has overcome a serious obstacle. Make her earn her carrots, and she will likely go far. However don't be afraid to use the stick if she starts to lag. She needs to be firmly reminded that her old habits are not acceptable.'_

Naruto nodded again. That made sense. He put an arm under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He had his work caught out for him. However he would persevere. He would not be held back like this. The life of the ninja was about surviving. Something he planned to do. If that meant he had to work extra hard to prepare others so be it.

He would do just that.


	3. Fearless

They were after him. Someone always was. They were relentless. They were unending.

However he wouldn't let them succeed. Not this time. He would not go back to that hell hole. That place of pain and torture. Too many times had he been denied freedom. Too many times was happiness cruelly torn from him. No more.

He dashed amongst the trees. If he could not lose them here, he would crush them, like so many before them. They would not find him so easy to capture as they thought. The many failures of the past have only taught him how better to succeed in the future. He had trained his body and mind to be at their peak so that it would be THEM that would fail, and not himself.

His body stilled in the center of a clearing. They were here. He could tell. He didn't know how they did it, but they had him surrounded. However this was a situation he was use to. A situation he had and could handle with ease. What tactics would they use? Bum rush him all at once? Come out one at a time to try and tire him out? Use their ninjutsus and techniques from a far? Throw food at him?

Wait, no, that last one didn't sound right.

However there it was. His eyes went upward as he watched a handful of tasty morsels fly into the air. They danced upon the air as he felt his mouth water. However at the peak of their arc, fire blocked his view.

NO! How could they!? Were they trying to taunt him? Were they trying to anger him? No, no wait, they weren't. As the fire and smoke cleared away his eyes and nose took in the new delightful sights and smells. The food was now cooked to near perfection. True they were a little burnt but that was fine.

As the tasty morsels hit the ground with a rapid fire of 'thumps' he took off towards them. He didn't care if it was a trap. He could dine and dash with the best of them. Except one of his pursuers stood in his path. He skidded to a stop and sank down. No one would stand in his way. He had faced many like the whelp before him. Better than him have fallen.

Except, wait. Something was different about him. The boy standing between him and his food was something else. The way he stood. The way his eyes narrowed. The slight growl in his voice. This was no boy. It was an alpha figure. The real deal. Not some wannabe.

"Stand down, and the food is yours. Attempt to run, or escape with the food, and I will make sure you never run again."

He stared at the alpha figure. Then down at the food. Back to the alpha. He tried to calculate the risks. Possible escape routes. Tried to find out some way to get the food and escape. To make the threat nonviable. Except he just couldn't. He could find no way to win. But in his mind it no longer mattered. If the alpha spoke true, at least he'd be going to hell with a full stomach

With that, Tora the cat, bane of gennin, submitted to Naruto Uzumaki without a fight. As a reward for his obedience he received freshly roasted fish.

* * *

'_Well, that was its own brand of interesting.'_

Naruto couldn't really do anything but nod in agreement as he looked down at the feline terror held in his arms. Tora was currently eating a fish like it was a gift from god. Savoring it like it was his last meal on this earth. The fact that this was the fourth fish he gave this treatment meant that Naruto was a little confused. Though the fact that his plan had worked certainly helped balance his emotions out.

A plan that wouldn't have worked, if the rest of team seven had not cooperated. The looks on their faces when he congratulated them on a job well done was priceless. It wasn't the first time he complimented and congratulated them, and with the way things were going it wouldn't be the last. However there was still a novelty-like feeling to it.

Naruto smiled to himself. It was only two weeks ago, that he held Sakura at kunai point, and scared both her and Sasuke nearly to death with his stick tactics. Two weeks of leading the group through physical exercises and katas. Two weeks of running them both into the ground with his superior stamina. And it was certainly starting pay off.

The continual exercising combined with Naruto's commanding nature lead to teamwork increasing. It still wasn't seamless. In fact it was still a bit far from such an ideal. However they were following orders, and in their own ways, he could tell they were noticing the advantages of this new situation.

Kakashi definitely was. Over the last week the man was actually appearing an hour earlier than usual. He was still two hours late, but now instead of going straight to the tower he had his team do 'cool-down spars' in order to better tone down from their intense workout routine. Naruto was pretty sure the man knew such spars would have the exact opposite effect.

Sasuke seemed to take the spars as they really were. Times to measure himself against Naruto. To test new tactics and push himself past the limits his tired body put on him. That first defeat had obviously made the boy reevaluate many things about himself. The fact that Naruto could switch up his tactics faster than Sasuke could was probably the sorest spot among everything, and drove the boy to improve to a new level with each day. Or attempt to anyway. There is only so high you can go on your own.

Sakura on the other hand was taken on a different path. Up until that point, and even still now, she had been making progress. Being forced to stop dieting and exercise to near exhaustion was starting to help her become what she should have been to start with. However a week, or even two at this point, could not fix years of neglect and damage. So instead of merely pushing her in spars like he did Sasuke, he instead gave her pointers. Taught her how she was SUPPOSE to do things. How to better use that strength she somehow had.

And it worked too. The prior week of Naruto not letting her distract herself with Sasuke while exercising had helped her focus, if only a little, and allowed her to take in his lessons for what they were. She was still a ways off, but at least now she had a chance of not getting herself killed in combat.

'_Indeed. As much as I loathe to say it… I do see some of that potential you were talking about. She is a quick study. Still seems a bit spineless though.'_

'_Thats because she lacks security in her own abilities from her belief that Sasuke would always be able to save her. With that belief shaken, and finding that she needs to rely on her on lacking abilities, she has lost what confidence and security she had. As her skill grows and she gets over more obstacles she will get more confident and capable.'_

_Kurama huffed. 'By obstacles you mean like when she hit you the day before?'_

'_Yes. Though granted it was a glancing blow, when I wasn't going all out. However, it was still impressive enough to warrant praise.'_

'_I suppose. We will just have to wait and see. Both her and the Uchiha ARE improving at an acceptable rate.'_

Naruto noded to himself. It was true, his teammates were making good progress. Mostly because they were quite easy to manipulate. Sasuke's pride could be pushed easily enough to make the boy take any step he needed to make in training. On the other hand Sakura would pull herself along if you broke what looked to be impossible challenges down into doable steps. All you had to do was make them see that they were in fact making progress while showing them there was still more to accomplish. That they were doing something meaningful and worth continuing.

Which was a major contrast to his situation with Hinata.

It wasn't that the girl wasn't growing. Quite the opposite. While still uncomfortable with strangers and those she didn't know well, the girl was really starting to open up to Naruto. She still stuttered and blushed on occasion of course, but that was to expected from a girl of her nature. He was steadily able to drag her out of her shell through getting her to spar with him a couple of times and talk more and more about herself and her family.

It was in those last two things where the problem lay. As well as where the source of her lack of substantial growth stemmed.

The spars alone revealed a very glaring flaw in itself. Granted it wasn't as obvious to Naruto, but it had been obvious to the far older and more experienced Kurama. The flaw was simple. The gentle fist style of taijutsu was not suited to Hinata's body type. It was a straightforward, direct, and offensive style. It was clearly designed to stand strong against any charge and opponent. To weather any storm. On the other hand Hinata was very lithe and flexible, more built to dodge and move around threats than meet them face to face in a battle of wills and strength. Her using the standard style was like using a naginata as a katana. Possible, but doing so restricted the weapons uses and nullified most if not ALL its strengths.

The worst part had been when he had brought this up to her. She had looked ashamed as she admitted that she already knew. The way she spoke of it, and explained the situation as if it was all her fault that she couldn't use the style irked him to no end. And it only got worse as he learned more and more about her family.

The Hyuuga were a very traditional family. They were very much like their elemental affinity, earth: Stubborn, unyielding, and changing little without LOTS of outside interference. They were very set in their ways. Ways that in time would do little but stagnate the family, if they hadn't already. They were also very proud of their ways. The gentle fist was considered one of the most deadly taijutsu styles out there, and as the only people that could use it effectively, they saw little reason to change or deviate from it. Hinata's lack of ability to use it effectively brought shame to her in her family's eyes. It was to the point that if she tried to bend the style to fit her better or worst yet took on a different style, she would be disowned from the main house and branded with the cage bird seal for being too shameful and weak.

Which was only another point against them in both Naruto's and Kurama's books. Another point among hundreds. Almost everything about them made Naruto and his tenant unhappy about them. From their views on family to how they treated positive emotions. There was a LOT to not like about the Hyuuga. As well as a lot of damage that had to be fixed before Hinata could even hope to grow into her potential.

However there wasn't a lot of options for that. All he could really do was give her confidence a much needed boost when he was with her. At least that was all he could do till she gained the strength and confidence needed to stand against her family on her own. After all the only one that could change the Hyuuga was a Hyuuga.

"TORA BABY! MY DEAR TORA! YOU HAVE RETURNED TO MOMMA!" a loud excited voice cut through Naruto's thoughts like a hot kunai through butter. It made the young blonde stop in surprise and look to the source. An action that he felt was mirrored by the cat in his arms.

There next to the mission desk was the plump form of the Daimyo's wife. Her arms were stretched out ready to embrace her.. beloved cat. Said cat gave what could only be a feline version of a sigh of resignation and defeat. It was as if it was accepting a death sentence, and judging from the number of escape attempts the cat had tried, and the over excitement its owner was showing…

'_I will NOT stand back and let a fighter such as this give up and accept death. We have to do something kit.' _Kurama demanded.

"Ma'am, do you know why Tora here keeps running from you?" Naruto asked innocently enough with a look of confusion on his face.

The woman looked back at him blinking in bewilderment. Slowly the woman shook her head.

"Do you see how I am holding him?" She nodded, "This is how animals like cats like to be held. It lets them feel close and secure without feeling crushed."

"But how am I supposed to show him all my love and affection if I hold him so loosely?" the woman argued.

"By petting him. Cats love being petted and caressed. They like affection, but in moderation. Cats like to be able to come and go, and if you let them they will always come back to recieve more affection."

The woman stared at him for a long moment before nodding. Her arms were still stretched out, but the hands were less grabby. She now looked uncertain as Naruto handed the cat over to her and she curled an arm around it in an imitation of Naruto's hold not too long ago.

She looked hesitant as she lifted her left hand, letting her right arm support the Tora's full weight. See certainly appeared unsure of herself as she let manicured nails lightly run through the cat's fur. Then she looked ecstatic when she was rewarded with the sound of the cat's purring. It was like she never heard it before.

Then again, she probably hadn't. At least not in a long time.

It was with great enthusiasm that the large woman started barraging the young blonde with questions about how to further make Tora happy and continue to make these glorious sounds. After several minutes of questions and answers, the plump wife of the country's leader SKIPPED out of the room like a young school girl. Or at least gave her best impression of doing so.

What followed afterward was silence as everyone in the room stared at Naruto with varying emotions.

"Well it seems like you just cost the village its most reliable and well paying D-rank mission. You likely also earned yourself and your team a rather nice bonus and the gratitude of the ninja community." The Hokage said with a chuckle before looking down at the papers before him. "Now since you finished that mission so quickly, I suppose I should give you a second one. Now lets see what we have…"

"Actually Hokage sir, I would like to request a C-rank for my team." Kakashi stated surprising everyone in the room. Especially Naruto and Kurama.

"Are you sure?" Sarutobi question.

"Yes."

'_He is up to something.' _Naruto thought as the older men spoke.

'_Of course he is. This man has been doing nothing but test you and your team since day one. This will likely be your final exam. Pass this and he might actually be proactive._

'_Final exam? How so?'_

'_Think about it kit. Under your leadership the team's teamwork has gone up. However that is in relative safety in a relatively controlled environment. You are also a bit of a slave driver. This mission is probably meant to see if your teamwork survives meeting actual combat and chaotic circumstances.'_

'_Because while a team of genin can take on a group bandits…'_

'_Three individual genin mostly can't. Though if you get in over your heads even with your teamwork, a jounin can take care of a bandit group on their own. So in the end it doesn't matter. All that does is making sure those two will still work with you when the chips are down, and the shit has hit the fan.'_

Before Naruto could respond a door opening behind him brought him back to the real world. "So this is my protection?" a voice said with a slight slur "I pay for ninjas and I get a group of brats? Hell the blonde one doesn't even look competent."

Said blonde could only watch with veiled amusement as his two teammates took a step away from both him and the old man that was no doubt their client. One look at their faces showed why. They clearly expected him to do something.

'_Its touching how confident they are in my self-control.'_

'_Well you DID slit the pink one's throat out of annoyance.'_

'_Point.'_

"Now Tasuna, I assure you my team is more than capable of protecting you from bandits. And if they do falter I am a Jounin." kakashi said with an amused tone.

The old man seemed to flinch at the word bandits. It was with uncertainty in his voice that he said, "Of course."

'_Something is wrong.'_

'_No shit. Nothing can ever be simple with you can it?'_

"We will meet you at 8 in the morning at the north gate." Kakashi said making their client nod before leaving. "Alright, team pack for a two week mission out of the village."

With that very obvious dismissal the team left to prepare for their first C-rank. However neither he nor Kurama could shake off the feeling that something was, or several somethings were, going to go wrong. They were going to have to prepare accordingly.

* * *

Things had been so simple in the academy. Do what you needed to do. Memorize the needed facts. See Sasuke. Ignore Naruto and hit him when she couldn't ignore him. Compete with the other girls for Sasuke's attention. There had been no need to really try hard. She just had to do what she did best. In a setting where doing so would be rewarded and the jeers and insults of her classmates would be neutralized. That had all ended shortly after she graduated.

All her brainpower didn't help when almost every mission was physical. But that had been alright. Sure she was tired and sweaty a lot, and the teacher didn't seem to care about them, but she was with Sasuke everyday, and she had Naruto to take out her frustration on. It all worked out in a way. That is until Naruto snapped one day.

Thinking back, logically it was only a matter of time. People can only take so much crap, and Naruto took a LOT of crap from just about everyone. Of course the only reason she could see it is because she had her eyes forcefully opened. Which is something she didn't appreciate. Nor did she enjoy the consequences. Despite there being no marks, her neck still tingled from time to time as a bitter reminder.

If she wanted to be logical, she couldn't really fault the results so far. It certainly gave her the motivation to get better. She was starting to be able to get through the physical regime without wanting to pass out, the missions have started to go faster and easier, and she was starting to see how to apply her smarts to the real world better. However she didn't WANT to be logical about it. In truth she was terrified of what Naruto had become. Even if he was nicer at times. He rarely smiled at her anymore. Compliments were few and far between. Though they seemed to be coming more often as she improved.

In fact recently things HAD started to get better as the team started to work together more. However she could tell that one mistake, one tiny misstep might be all it took to send them right back to square one, and she didn't want to face Naruto's wrath again. He might not settle for a simple shallow cut the next time.

So while her curious mind talked to the client about his country, only half of it actually listened. The other half watched the right side of the road they were travelling on incase anyone tried to ambush them. She always had a knack for multi-tasking like this. Which meant she easily noticed the puddle in the side of the road. A puddle that had no right to be there since it hadn't rained in weeks. That had to be something. It was far too obvious not to be.

If she noticed it then the others should have as well. Yet no one said anything. A turn towards the client in order to address one of her questions better gave her the ability to look at the others without being too obvious about it. They all looked calm. Like they hadn't noticed a possible ambush. Did that mean only she spotted it? Should she mention it? But what if they DID see it, and they believed it was nothing? What if she was overthinking it? No, that had to be something. It HAD to be. Which meant that either the other's didn't know, or they were going to let it happen. Seeing how Naruto noticed everything recently, and Kakashi was a Jounin she was was going to assume the latter and do the same. After all, what was the worse that could happen?

And so they approached and even started passing the puddle with nothing happening. Until suddenly two figures wielding claws linked together by a serrated chain leapt from the small patch of water. They immediately encircled the off-guard Jounin wrapping him up in the chain and then tearing him apart with a yank from both ends.

"First one." The figures said.

At this point Sakura's mind was starting to shut down. Their teacher was dead just like that. Because she didn't say anything. She should have said something. And now…

"Second one."

She was brought out of her horrified daze to see chains appear around her, ready to do their work once more. Only this time it would be on her. She was now going to die. Just like Naruto had predicted. And no one would save her.

Suddenly the chain was no longer ready to wrap around her as there was a sound of metal on metal and the chain escaped her sight. All eyes turned to the tree behind her. The chain that had killed their sensei and would have done the same to her was pinned to the tree with a shuriken, which in turn was pinned by a kunai. This stopped her attackers in their tracks much to their surprise.

"Nice throw Sasuke." Naruto said as he appeared in front of the stunned pair in a crouch. The attackers couldn't have dodged the fists that buried into their stomachs even if they had wanted to. The force had caused them to fly back, but that hadn't been enough to take them out as they righted themselves in mid-air, disengaged the chains from their gauntlets, and then charged forward with a burst of speed that she could barely register.

It also barely registered that Naruto and Sasuke both intercepted the same target, working together to keep the man occupied. That left the other man to charge at their client. Her body was moving before her mind ever caught up.

She had already failed once on this mission. Yet her teammates still saved her life. Now she was the only thing that could stand between the client and the assailant. The cloaked figure was bigger, faster, and the odd coloration of the clawed gauntlet alluded that it was poisoned. She had no chance at victory.

However as she got into position with kunai held in a reverse grip and in a defensive position, she knew she didn't have to win. Just hold off the attacker long enough for Naruto and Sasuke to finish off their opponent. Maybe… if she succeeded in that she would be forgiven for her failure from earlier.

As that clawed hand was thrusted towards her, she gritted her teeth and tensed her muscles. She would need to block at a very specific angle if this was to work. She never took her eyes off her attacker despite the fear she felt. She already felt the helplessness of death, even if she didn't actually die. The mere possibility that she COULD survive this instantly made it it nothing like what Naruto had done to her, and boosted her determination.

She was of two minds, and even then they both agreed. She would not die here. She would not fail her team like she did her teacher.

However, as she adjusted her kunai and prepared to parry the blow that seemed to come to her in slow-motion, her attacker was suddenly taken out by an arm slamming into his upper chest and throat. An arm that belonged to her thought to be deceased teacher.

"Yo." the one eyed man said as he he held her clearly unconscious attacker in a headlock.

"I see you finally decided to join the fight." Said Naruto as he deposited an equally unconscious man in front of Kakashi. Behind him stood a winded Sasuke, and part of Sakura was VERY glad to see that the dark haired boy was uninjured.

"Just wanted to see what my darling little students could do. And I'm not disappointed. Now if you excuse me, I have questions that need answers." With that their teacher went into the surrounding woods with both of the attackers.

"Sasuke. Sakura. Did you guys honestly not see the puddle, or did you just ignore it?" Said Naruto after a moment in a low dangerous voice. The same voice he used whenever one of them did something greatly displease him. It immediately put Sakura on edge. This was it.

Sasuke shook his head. "I was observing the left side of the road and didn't see a puddle." He said. Naruto observed him for a second then nodded. Then those cold blue eyes turned to her and she felt her blood freeze a bit. She had to swallow in order to bring moisture to her throat.

"I… I saw it." She confessed, "However when I saw no one else was reacting to it, I figured there was a reason no one was, and chose to do the same. Even though I knew something was off, I said nothing."

"Which was the right choice." Naruto responded much to the pinkett's surprise. Surprise that she was sure showed in her face as her eyes widened. "Our nonverbal communication is non-existent right now, and any attempt to warn us or discuss it would have let the ambushers know we were on to them and they might have changed their tactics. It looks like you CAN actually use that brain of yours.

However, while I would have liked you NOT to freeze in front of an enemy like that, I can understand that you have little experience for these kinds of situations, and yet you still chose to to take action and protect the client." with that the tiniest of upturns appeared at Naruto's lips. "Looks like there is hope for you yet Sakura."

Sakura's heart thundered in her ears. The sound drowned out all else even as Naruto turned back to Sasuke to talk to him about something. It hadn't been the first time he had given her some kind of compliment after the change the team underwent. But it was the first time he did so with even a hint of a smile on his lips. The sheer amount of surprise she was feeling started a full shutdown of her brain as it tried to decipher it all. A shutdown that continued even as Kakashi came out of the woods and started to explain the situation.

They seemed to have voted on something before continuing on the road towards Wave. She didn't fully know what was going on, nor could she find it in herself to care. Naruto had really changed, but maybe there was more of the old Naruto there than she first thought. And maybe, just maybe this really was good for her in the end...


End file.
